Shifting mechanism for type-writers.



No; 859,026. PATENTED JULY 2, 1907.

J. B. VIDAL.

SH IPTING MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITERS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.17, 1906.

ATIOHNEYS JUAN B. VIDAL, OF HABANA, CUBA.

SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR TYPE-WRITERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1907.

Application filed October 17, 1906. Serial No. 339,837.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JUAN B. VIDAL, a citizen of the Republic of Cuba,and a resident of Habana, Cuba, have invented a new and ImprovedShifting Mechanism for Type-Writers, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in typewriting machinesand more particularly to means for shifting the roller to bringdifferent letters on the type levers into operative relation therewith.

The object of the invention is to provide means whereby the shift keymay be operated by the ball or the palm of the hand, ,thus leaving allof the fingers available for operating the type keys.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures, in which Figure l is a sideelevation of a portion of a typewriting machine, illustrating somewhatdiagrammat ically the operating parts but showing the construction of myimproved shifting mechanism; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of atypewriter, showing the relative location of the shift key in respect tothe type keys. 1

The frame 1 of the machine may be of any desired make or construction,and supports acarriage 2 having a main roller 3 around which the paperpasses and anti-friction rollers 4 traveling in a groove in the rod 5for supporting the front side of the carriage. By moving the-rod 5backward or forward, the position of the carriage may be varied andbrought into operative relation with a different portion of the type, soas to print a difierent letter or character; The rod is preferablysupported by a bell' crank lever 6, fastened to the frame of the machineby a pivot pin 7 and having the horizontal arm of the bell crank leverconnected by a link 8 to the long lever 9, which latter is pivoted atthe rear of the machine and extends through an opening 10 in the frontside thereof. The front end of the lever 9 is bent upward at the desiredangle andis provided with a plate 11 considerably larger than the typekeys and supported at substantially the same level as the type keys butata considerable distance in front of them. Thekey-bcard may be of anydesign or arrangement preferred, and the keys operated either by a.downward, sidewise, or forward motion. ,The plate 11 is supported insuch a position and relation in respect to the type keys 12 that whenthe fingers of the operator are over the key-board in the positionnormally occupied when operating the machine, the rear portion or ballof the hand is directly above the plate 11.

In the operation of the machine, the hand is-normally out of contactwith the plate 11 but is closely adjacent thereto. When it is desired toshift the roller, this may be accomplished by pressing downward with theball of the hand upon the plate 11 without removing any of the fingersfrom the key-board or interfering in any way with the normal operationof the machine. In the common form of machine it is necessary to utilizeone hand, or at least one finger, for holding down the shift key when itis'desired to print in capitals or for any other reason it is desired toshift the roller; while the shift key is being held down, the hand soemployed or at least one finger of that hand, can no longer be used foroperating the type keys, and the speed of the operator must of necessitygreatly-decrease. In my improved machine the operator may manipulate thetype keys with as great rapidity while.

holding down the shift key with the ball of the hand, and the freedom ofmotion of the fingers is not inter fered with in any way.

When it is desired to hold the roller in its shifted position for anyconsiderable length of time, any suitable means may be provided forholding down the lever 9, so that the pressureof the hand upon the plate11 may be withdrawn or the pivotal point of the bell crank lever 6 maybe shifted as is common in the art.

The plate 11 may be connected to the carriage by anysuitable mechanismother than the specific mechanism shown, as it is evident that theadvantage gained by the specific position of the shift key in relationtothe type keys does not depend upon the sp ecific character of theconnecting levers and pivots.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

'1. A 'typewriter comprising a carriage, a plurality of type keysadapted to be operated by the fingers, and a shift key located aconsiderable distance in front of saidvtype keys and adjacent one sidethereof, and means connecting said shift key and said carriage, wherebythe position of the carriage may be changed by depressing the shift keywith the ball of the hand while all of the fingers remain in operativeengagement with the type keys.

2. In a typewriter, the combination of a carriage, a pinrality of typekeys adapted to be operated by the fingers of both hands, a. shift keylarger than said type keys and at a considerable distance in frontthereof at substantially the same elevation, and means connectingsaidshift key with saidcarriag'e, whereby the position of the carriagemay be altered by depressing the shift key with the ball of the handwhile all of the fingers remain in operative engagement with the typekeys.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresenceof two subscribing witnesses.

JUAN B. VIDAL.

Witnesses:

.TNo. M. Burns,

PHILIP D. Romance.

